Photographic-plate holder.



No. 700,034. Patented May I3, I902.

J. GODDARD.

PHOTOGHAPHIC P'LATE HOLDER.

(Application filed Jan. 17, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet l.

No. 700,034. Patented May l3, I902.

J. GODDARD.

PHDTDGRAPHIG PLATE, HOLDER.

(Application Med Jan. 17, 1902.) -(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shea! 2.

, mama/ THE NORRIS PETERS co.. PHDYuLiTHQ. WASNINGTON, u. c.

UN TED STATES PATENT Orricn.

JOSEPH GODDARD, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROCHESTER OPTICAL 8:CAMERA CO., OF ROCHESTER, NElV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PHOT'OGRAPHlG-PLATE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,034, dated May 13,1902.

Application filed January 17, 1902. Serial No. 90,196. No model.)

To aZZ 1071/0711, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GODDARD, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Roches ter, in the county of Monroe and State of New .5York, have invented new and usefullmprovements in Photographic-PlateHolders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a photographicplate holder; and it has for itsobject to provide a metallic plate-holder which will be exceedinglylight and compact, and to provide such a plate-holder with a novel catchfor holding the slide in place and so constructed and arranged that theoperatormay with one hand simultaneously release the catch and withdrawthe slide and whereby the catch is caused to automatically engage andhold the slide in place by the mere act of pushing the slide in theframe.

It also has for its object to improve and simplify the construction andrender more efficient the operation of this class of plateholdersgenerally.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed,and particularly pointed out in the claims following thedescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

0 forming apart of this specificatiomwhereim- Figure 1 is a View inperspective of my improved photographic-plate holder, parts being shownas separated from one another. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of myplate- 5 holder. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section. Fig. 4 is an enlargedsection of a portion of the plate-holder. Fig. 5 is a view of theplateholder with the slide removed. Fig. 6 is a View of the plate-holderwith the slide insorted, taken from the opposite side to that of Fig. 5.

As herein illustrated,the plate-holder comprises a plate-holder frame, askeleton frame inserted therein, a light-excluding device, a

slide, and a spring-catch for positively locking the slide in place.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the body of theplate-holder frame, consisting of a rectangular piece of sheet metalbent up at its sides to form upwardly and inwardly projecting flanges 2and bent up at its ends to form flanges 3 and at, the flange 8 extendingupwardly and inwardly in a manner similar to the flanges 2, and theflange lbeing bent inwardly in a plane slightly 5 5 above the body 1 andbeneath the plane of the flanges 2. Fitted within the plate-holder frameis the skeleton frame, consisting of a sheet-metal plate 5, having itscentral portion removed, as shown at 6, and provided at its oppositeends with inwardly-extending and upwardly-projecting integralspring-lingers 7. The skeleton frame is provided on its opposite sideswith upturned and outwardly-projecting flanges 8 and at its oppositeends with upturned and inwardly-extending flanges 9, the said flanges 8engaging the under sides of the flanges 2 of the plateholder, by whichmeans the skeleton frame is held in place in said holder, the rear endflange E) of the skeleton frame being disposed under the end flange 3 ofthe plate-holder.

In practice the skeleton frame is slipped into place within the holderbefore the end flange 4; is bent up. Arranged under the rear end flange9 of the skeleton frame is a bowspring 10, which operates in practice topush the forward end of the sensitized plate under the front flange 9 ofthe skeleton frame in the usual and well-known manner. As shown, theskeleton frame is somewhat shorter than the plate-holder frame, andarranged between the front end of said skeleton frame and the flange aof the plate-holder frame is a lightexcluding device consisting of astrip of sheet metal 11, provided at its opposite edges with downwardlyand thence outwardly bent flanges 12, which rest on the bottom edge ofthe plate-holder frame, the forward flange 12 fitting under the flangeat of the plate-holder 0 frame and its rear flange bearing against thefront flange 9 of the skeleton frame, whereby the skeleton frame and thelight-excluding device are held firmly against movement within theplate-holder frame. Attached to the 5 upper side of the strip 11 is astrip of velvet, plush, felt, or similar material, which will freelyyield to permit of the insertion of a plate, but which will operate toeffectually exclude the light aftcrthc plate has been inserted in place.After the skeleton frame and light-excluding device have-been insertedin place in the plate-holderframe the forward end flange at of thelatter is then bent up into place, securely locking the said parts inplace in the plate-holder frame.

The numeral 13 indicates the slide, consisting of a rectangular sheetmetal plate, which is adapted to be slid underneath the flanges 2 and 3of the plate-holder frame and above the flanges S and 9 of the skeletonframe, Said plate is provided at its forward end with a verticaldepending flange 14, which is preferably offset intermediate the edgesof said slide, as shown, and in said offset portion is formed a slot 15.

The numeral 16 indicates the catch, consisting of a piece of resilientsheet metal provided at one end with the flat head 17, having formedintegral therewith an outwardly-projecting spring-finger and on eachside of said spring-finger two outwardly-projecting wings 18, which aredisposed parallel to said springfinger. The rear end of the head 1'7 andthe free ends of the wings 18 are provided with downwardly-projectingflanges 19. As shown, the spring-finger 20 projects beyond the ends ofthe wings 1S and is bent upwardly and outwar ly and thence downwardly toform a rib 21 and is then bent upwardly to form a loop or corrugation 22and is finally bent downwardly at an angle to form a beveled end 23. Thecatch is secured in place by insert-ing the head between the flanges 12of the strip 11, the flanges 19 of said head bearing against the innersides of the flanges 12 of said strip, so as to hold said head againstendwise movement, and the for and flange 12 of the strip and the flange%of the plate-holder frame are slotted or cut away, as at 24-, to permitof the passage therethrough of the spring-finger 20. The catch is thusfirmly held in place and in position to engage the offset flange of theslide, The sensitized plate is inserted within the plate-holder in theusual and well-known manner. The bow-spring 10 and the spring-fingers 7operate to firmly and immovably hold the plate in position. The slide isthen pushed into place in manner before described, and just before itreaches the limit of its inward movement the offset portion of theflange 14; engages the beveled end 23 of the catch and depresses thelatter, and on the final inward movement of the slide the flange 14;snaps over said beveled end of the catch into corrugation 22, wherebythe slide is immovably held against movement in either direction. Whenit is desired to withdraw the slide, the operator has merely to placehis thumb behind the offset portion of the flange 14 of the slide and atthe same time press with his forefinger against the end of the spring 7,whereby the latter is forced out of engagement with the flange and theslide may be freely withdrawn.

I am aware that I am not, broadly, the first to provide in aphotographieplate holder spring-catch that will automatically yield whenthe slide is pushed into place and lock the slide in place in the holderand which may be engaged and released by the same hand that is employedto withdraw the holder. I therefore do not claim such broadly.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1.. In aphotographic-plate holder, the combination with the plate-holder frameand the slide provided at its outer end with a depending flange, of aspring-catch fixed to the front end of the plate-holderframe andprojecting beyond the latter, said catch being arranged to automaticallyyield to said flange when the slide is pushed into place and having aprojeeting end adapted to be engaged by the same hand employed towithdraw the slide,whereby the catch may be released and the slide withdrawn at one movement of the hand, substantially as described.

2. In a photographic-plate holder, the combination with the plate-holderframe and the slide provided at its end with a depending flange, of aspring-catch fixed to the front end of the plate-holder frame andprojecting be yond the latter, said catch comprising a springflngerprovided with a beveled end adapted to be engaged by and thrust aside bythe flange on the slide and with a corrugated portion arranged to snapunder the lower edge of said flange and lock the slide in place,substantially as described.

3. In a photographic-plate holder, the combination with the plate-holderframe and the slide provided at its outer end with a depending flange,of aspring-catch fixed to the front end of the plate-holder frame andprojecting beyond the latter, said catch comprising a spring-fingerprovided with a beveled end adapted to be engaged by and thrust aside bythe flange 011 the slide and with a corrugated portion arranged to snapunder the lower edge of said flange and hold the slide in place, and atransverse strip fitted in the front end of the plate-holder frame andlongitudinally grooved on its under side, the said springfln ger beingprovided at its inner end with a flat head fitted in said groove,substantially as described.

at. In a photographic-plate holder, the combination with theplate-holder frame, of a light-excluding device, consisting of a tranverse strip fltted in the front end of theplateholder frame and providedon its upper side with a light-excluding brush, and having a groove onits under side, of the slide provided at its free end with a dependingflange, and a spring-catch cemprisin a flat head fitted between thegrooved portion of said strip and the bottom of the plate-holder frameand having an outwardly-projecting spring-finger arranged to engage thesaid flange and hold the slide in place, substantially as described.

5. In a photographic-plate holder, the combination with a plate-holderframe, of a lightexeluding device, consisting of a transverse stripfitted in the front end of the frame and provided on its upper side witha light-excluding brush and having a groove on its under side, of aslide provided at its free end with a depending flange, and aspring-catch comprising a flat head, having two parallel wings, the rearedge of the head and the free ends of the wings having dependingflanges, said head being fitted in said groove, and an integralspring-finger projecting outward from the head and arranged to engagethe flange on the slide and hold the latter in place, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a photographic-plate holder, the combination with a plate-holderframe and its slide, of a skeleton frame fitted in the plateholder frameand comprising a rectangular sheet-metal frame provided at its oppositeinner ends with integral inwardly and upwardly projectingspring-fingers, arranged to engage my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH GODDARDa \Vitnesses:

MINNA STULL, GEO. W. REILLY.

